Summary

The author reflects on their personal travel philosophy, which diverges from conventional tourism by emphasizing spontaneity, local experiences, and personal growth over following a strict itinerary, purchasing tourist packs, or collecting souvenirs.

Abstract

In a thoughtful musing, the author describes their approach to travel as one that is unstructured and free-flowing, shunning the typical tourist's checklist of sights and activities. Instead, they prefer to immerse themselves in the local culture, follow serendipitous opportunities, and create meaningful memories through spontaneous interactions and experiences. The author argues that this method of travel, which includes minimal museum visits and the purchase of local art over souvenirs, leads to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the places they visit, even if it means potentially missing out on some "must-see" attractions.

Opinions

The author feels that strict itineraries and schedules detract from the travel experience, preferring to let their journey unfold naturally.
They believe that tourist packs, while economical, can lead to a rushed and inauthentic experience as travelers try to maximize their investment.
The author values experiential learning over theoretical knowledge gained from museums, choosing to engage with locals and participate in community activities to understand a culture.
They have come to view souvenirs as unnecessary clutter, instead opting to support local artists by purchasing meaningful art that reflects the essence of the places they visit.
The author is open about their past behavior as a tourist and has evolved their travel style to focus on personal enrichment and the support of local economies.
They invite readers to reflect on and share their own travel philosophies, suggesting that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to being a "good" tourist.

I’m Not A Very Good Tourist

A traveller’s musing

The author playing tourist on the East side Berlin Wall. Photo by Amalina Davis

On a recent trip to Germany, I bumped into a friend from college.

We exchanged travel plans. She supplied me with all the extensive research she did before arriving — tourist attractions, tourist packs, must-try food — you get the drill.

I, on the other hand, had no valuable information to give her. I did no prior research on the place beyond basic things like accommodation and transport.

It made me feel like a bad tourist.

I usually go to a new place and kind of figure it out from there. I talk to the locals about their recommendations, I read pamphlets, I take a walk in random suburbs…

As we parted ways, my nagging thoughts persisted.

In what ways am I, not a very good tourist? So I came up with this article to make sense of it.

Maybe I can find others like me out there too.

I Don’t Have Any Itinerary

I don’t like determining where to spend my travelling time by the minute.

I get enough of that at work with meetings & appointments scheduled into my calendar.

When I travel, I don’t follow schedules or timetables. I allow myself the freedom to feel and play it by ear. I let the universe reign my time and free myself up for serendipitous opportunities.

Some might say, travelling this way wastes a lot of time. You don’t make full use of your short time there, and risk missing seeing some important places.

They might be right.

But personally, I don’t need to see every single thing on Trip Advisor’s “Top 10 Places to go in [insert country here]”.

After travelling to almost 40 countries, I’ve come to realise that you don’t really remember if you’ve seen a monument, tower, museum, etc.

But what you do remember are wonderful moments in travel. Moments that make you feel a certain special way.

Like that time I took a detour from my Zurich -> Geneva train because a lady I met told me I had to stop by Montreaux. It is, still one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen. It made me feel lucky to have had a serendipitous meeting that lead to a beautiful discovery.

If I followed an itinerary religiously, I wouldn’t have been able to experience that. Simply because I would be too tied to the timeline.

Flexibility is the key.

I Don’t Buy Tourist Packs

Usually, countries with more developed tourism will have tourist packs catered for their huge tourist population.

For example, in Berlin, Germany, the WelcomeCard pack includes public transport cards and attraction discounts (museums, galleries, etc). Starting at 25 euros for two days validity, that’s a pretty good deal.

If you’re into that sorta thing.

I find that buying these tourist packs pressures you to try and cram a lot in due to the limited validity. With the added pressure of needing to get your money's worth, you end up trying to visit a lot of attractions that you probably wouldn’t have gone to in the first place.

I Don’t Go To Many Museums

I usually only go to one museum, or a maximum of two museums if it is really interesting. Sure you can learn a lot by going into museums, the rich history, the arts & culture, and many more.

But going to a museum to learn about a country is kind of like reading a textbook. That’s just the theoretical part of it.

I’m a huge proponent of balancing theoretical learning with experiential learning.

So for the experiential part of learning, I would stay with a local (either with friends or Airbnb), visit eateries frequented by locals and talk to the shopkeepers. I meander community parks and watch them play sports.

I try to kinda blend in, get a feel of what it's like to be a local. Because that’s when you learn about the things that museums don’t tell you.

I Don’t Buy Souvenirs

Well, I used to.

But after travelling voraciously for the past decade, I ended up with a pile of useless souvenirs collecting dust at home. I soon realise souvenirs are more trouble than its worth.

Nowadays, the only souvenir I buy is fridge magnets for my family’s extensive fridge magnet collection.

Instead, I prefer to buy local artworks from the places I’ve been to. Paintings, sculptures, fabric & traditional clothes are just some examples…

It is a steeper investment, but I find that I learn a lot more about local art when I’m invested in the purchasing process.

Of course, supporting local artists is a huge plus too. Especially in poorer countries, where local artists find it hard to make a living.

When I can’t afford a piece of painting, I will get a print/postcard version of it, and come back to get it the next time I’m there.

Like when I went to Rajasthan, India for the first time — I fell in love with the famous Rajasthani miniature painting. However, it was too steep for my student budget. So when I went back to India as a working adult, a miniature painting was one of the first things I bought.

Do you consider yourself a good tourist? Would love to hear about your travelling style too.

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